The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-09-09
Who Wrote Shakespeare.
IGNATIUs DoNNELLY CONTENDS THAT
BACON Is TUE TRUE BARD.


The World recently contained a
very elaborate exposition of Ignatius
Donnelly's attempt to dethrone Shake
speare and award the honor of the
authorship of the 30 called Shakespeare
plays to Lork Bacon. The article was
written by Professor Thomss David
son, well known scholar, philosopher
and critic. Mr.. Davidson has recently
paid Mr.. Donnelly visit at his home
at Hastings, Minnesota, examined the
manuscript of his forthcoming work,
the "Great Cryptogram," had the main
features of the cipher explained to him
and obtained permission TO report.
Before examining Mr. Donrelly's work
Mr.. Davidson was an entire ske ptio in
regard TO the Bacon theory, but he
now admits that he is very much shak
en- in his belief that the plays were
written by Shakespeare and declares
that, if they had come down to us
without any authors name attached.
they would have been unhesitatingly
attributed to Bacon. He says he reach
ed this conviction altogether apart
from the cipher.
The article gives brief summary Of
the results reached in Mr. Donnelly's
book. The book is divided into two
parts-an argument and demonstra-
ton. The former collects, arranges
and sums up all the arguments that
have been put forward in the last thirty
years in favor OF the Baconian theory
and adds a number. The author first
endeavors to show that the education
and character of Shakespeare were such
that it is ridiculous to imagine that he
could have written plays which are dis
titled from all the wisdom and learn
ing of the world. He shows that his
education must have been extremely
meagre, while that of the author of the
plays was broad and deep.
He shows Shakespeare to have been
stepped in almost every kind of vice,
dying in the prime OF life from the re.
suits of three days drunken spree.
He next shows that there is no record
that Shakespeare ever owned library
or even book, and that not single
scrap of manuscript of his has come
down to us, not even letter to any Of
the numerous men with whom he is
known to have been acquainted, and
that there is extant no letter addressed
to him except one asking for loan Of
money.
Having demonstrated to his own
satisfaction that the author of the plays
was not Shakespeare, Mr.. Donnelly
next proceeds to prove that he was
Bacon. After adduciug evidence to
show that Bacon was poet and the
author of the plays a profound and
learned philosopher, he treats of the
geography of the plays. While STRAIT
ford-upon-Avon (where Shakespeare
was born) is never once mentioned in
the plays, st. Albsns, the home of
Bacon, is mentioned twenty-three
times. He next shows that the politics
and the religion of the writer of the
plays are identical with Bacons poll
tics and religion and that what Bacon
declared to be his great life purpose is
fully exemplified in the plays. A chap
ter is devoted to Bacon's reasons for
conceslment.
1t appears, accordingly to Mr.. Don
nelly, not only that Bacon wrote works
which he never publicly acknowledged,
but that he is addressed by one of his
friends as the greatest wit in England,
though not known as such by his own
name. Among the reasons for conceal
ment Mr.. Donnelly puts the political
tendency of some Of the plays, which
was TO encourage treason.
The first part of the work closes
with long list of parallelisms between
Bacon's acknowledged works and the
Shakesperean plays--identical express
ions. metaphors, opinions, quotations,
studies, errors, use of unusual words,
character and style.
The result of the whole argument,
according to Mr.. Davidson, is to leave
upon the mind a strong impression
that if Bacon was not the sole author
of the plays, he had, at least, a princi-
pal hand in them, supplying the schol.
arship, the art and the philosophy.
After the argument making the
authorship of Bacon probable comes
the demonstration, that is the cipher
narrative, which has already aroused
30 much interest in the public. The
article in the World tells how Mr..
Donnelly came to look for a cipher
and the laborious process by which he
found IL. "a he believes.